​Bettavend, The Point Foundation and Caffe Praego: working to change lives in Rwanda

Aren’t they great, this gaggle of Rwandan children; so young, brimming with potential and deserving of fulfilling futures.

We think so, which is why we are helping to make this happen, sponsoring them directly and working in partnership with UK charity, The Point Foundation, and Caffe Praego, both organisations after our own heart: a commitment to ethical coffee and tea farming that benefits local communities.

By going direct to the farmers, we cut out the middle man, and the farmers receive the lion’s share of support and profit.

The children live with their families in rural villages near Gisenyi, a town on the north shore of Lake Kivu, in north-western Rwanda’s Rubavu district. Their small mud houses are roofed with clay tiles or thatch, and comprise one or two rooms with no wash or toilet facilities. Cooking is on an open fire inside the house, and water is collected daily from the local river.

Their story has its roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide which decimated communities throughout this impoverished country, leaving children of all ages orphaned or abandoned. They lived in appalling conditions with little funding or support. But things began to change in 2007, with The Point Foundation improving their welfare with life-changing projects.

The young, largely rural population has a density among the highest in Africa, with an economy based on subsistence agriculture – with coffee and tea being the major cash crops.

Together, we are making a difference for these children, helping them, their families and communities to learn, work and live – to move forward, love life and realise dreams.